A 11,500-sqm land reserved for a new water supply scheme has been illegally allotted to a trust named after Premlatai, mother of chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

A 11,500-sqm land reserved for a new water supply scheme has been illegally allotted to a trust named after Premlatai, mother of chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The Saidapur panchayat of Satara district learnt this while submitting representations for obtaining government land for civic amenities.

It has moved the Bombay high court, alleging revenue authorities have illegally allotted the plot to Smt Premalatai Chavan Charitable Trust, Karad.

A division bench of justice BH Marlapalle and justice UD Salvi has posted the petition challenging the allotment for hearing on January 6.

The village panchayat has stated in its petition that the land was allotted to the trust by Revenue and Forests department on April 8 “only to please” Prithviraj Chavan, then a Minister for Prime Minister’s Office.

The revenue records said Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) was supposed to implement the new water supply scheme for Saidapur and three other villages.

However, the then sub-divisional officer (SDO), Karad, initiated suo motu proceedings and on October 1 cancelled the mutation entry by which name of MJP was entered into revenue records as owner of the plot admeasuring 4 hectares and 17 gunthas.

In its petition filed through advocate Vinod Jadhav, the panchayat has said the SDO had no power to initiate suo motu proceedings and the plot cannot be allotted to the trust as it did not belong to the state government. The land has not been transferred to the trust as yet.

The SDO replied to the petition saying the suo motu proceedings were initiated as there was no record showing original allotment of the land to MJP.

The MJP, on the other hand, has supported the village panchayat by stating that the SDO’s decision was completely illegal.

The MJP contented that the land belonged Maharashtra Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which has been renamed as MJP, and so they were the successors in title of the land.